MSR Asgard 2-Person, 4-season Tent

, October 31, 2011

Mountain Safety Research (MSR) describe the 4-season Asgard tent as “the most liveable, 2-person expedition shelter we’ve ever made”. In order to assess this claim and put the tent through some rigorous testing, Christian Hacking and I took the Asgard to Switzerland.

Marmot Hyper Jacket

, October 22, 2011

A quick word one of Marmot’s patented technologies here, the MemBrain Strata. This is Marmot’s very own waterproof material, similar to Mountain Hardwear’s Conduit DT (dry touch) comparison. Marmot’s fabric has come up with some impressive figures: at 20,000mm in waterproof performance and 20,000 gr it is comparable to the more widely known Gore-Tex fabrics. Another note-worthy feature of MemBrain Strata is the fabric has “micro inorganic particles” impregnated on the inside of the laminate. Putting
technical jargon to one side this basically means the inside of the jacket has a dry feeling when wet on the outside, so avoiding that clammy feeling of waterproofs of old. This allows for greater comfort when wearing just a T-shirt or less under the jacket.

Ortik Jetstream

, October 20, 2011

Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, located in between northern Norway and the North Pole at 90 degrees north. The island plays host to a wealth of breeding sea birds, marine mammals and of course the infamous polar bear. Spending time in the area is inherently dangerous, but as mere visitors to the area we have to take every precaution against the native dangers.

Surf Mawgan Porth, Cornwall, England

, October 14, 2011

Mawgan Porth is a small village on the north coast of Cornwall, 6 miles up the coast from Newquay. It’s great place for those who want to stay at one of the quieter beach spots, whilst maintaining quick access to renowned UK surf breaks such as Watergate Bay and Constantine.

Vango Helium Superlite 200

, October 12, 2011

To me the key performance indicator of a tent is that it keeps me dry. The biggest test of this: 2 days of near continuous rain in Slovenia, the tent passed. After a brutal night of rain I woke, and in my usual wet routine, got dressed in the tent into my cycling kit. This requires some contortion due to the tents compact size but is possible. With waterproofs on and kit packed into dry bags I dived out and was able to drop the tent in 2 minutes. Pannier on and I hit the road.

Sea To Summit Silk Travel Liner

, September 20, 2011

Having planned several medium to long backpacking trips over the last 3 years, I have grown quite accustomed to a well established routine of ticking off vital and important items on my packing checklist. Since my very first traveling experience, the Silk Travel Liner, produced by Sea To Summit, has continually made it to the top of this list.

Shetland Fishing Adventure

, June 17, 2011

Over the week we aimed to explore this remote group of islands whilst fly fishing, hiking and camping along the way. At 60 degrees North the Shetland Islands lie closer to Norway than mainland Scotland and consist of approximately 100 islands of which only 16 are inhabited. The largest island is called Mainland and is where the capital Lerwick is located.

Haglöfs Zensor Nordic Winter Sleeping Bag

, February 11, 2011

As one of Scandinavia’s top outdoor and equipment manufacturers, Haglöfs hold nothing back with their sleeping bag range. I’ve been using the Zensor Nordic Winter over the season and have been amazed by just how comfortable and warm it has been. Suitable to a -20 degrees Celsius, The Zensor has held up well in -10 at Ben Alder Bothy. However, to work out why this Haglöfs bag is so comfy, a further analysis of the product’s features is needed.